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Cardinals Care Redbird Rookies

Redbird Rookies is a baseball league for kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play. This special league, sponsored by Cardinals Care, provides kids with uniforms, gloves, bats, balls, and other equipment, as well as extensive off-field support in the areas of health, education, mentoring, and cultural arts. Currently Redbird Rookies has over 20 leagues, serving nearly 4,500 kids in the St. Louis/Metro area, and parts of rural Missouri and Illinois.

Thank you for your interest in Redbird Rookies!

Redbird Rookies Overview

Children of our community have benefited from Cardinals Care with the consistent commitment from the St. Louis Cardinals Ownership Group, Cardinals players, Cardinals sponsors, and thousands of Cardinals fans. Cardinals Care is the team's community foundation that cares for kids. Since 1997, Cardinals Care has cared for kids by building youth baseball fields, supporting youth baseball, and funding children's organizations and youth agencies. Over $21 million has been distributed to help kids, primarily in the areas of health, education, mentoring, recreation, and cultural arts.

In 2004, Redbird Rookies was formed to allow kids to play baseball free of charge. Rawlings, a major contributor and supporter of Cardinals Care, donates and discounts most of the equipment and uniforms for any child who wants to play in Redbird Rookies. In addition, Cardinals Care provides training so that coaches and organizers can learn innovative coaching/character building techniques that are essential to the program. Parents also take part in workshops that teach the philosophy of the league so that there is support on every level.

Central to Redbird Rookies is instructional play. Keeping score and winning are secondary to the life lessons that can be learned as part of a team on the ball field. Redbird Rookies works to instill the values of teamwork, integrity, self-esteem, and leadership in the "classroom" of a baseball setting. Redbird Rookies players have a plethora of off-field activities to participate in during the summer! Such events include an interactive Health Fair, a specialized summer reading program, and concert at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri also partners with Cardinals Care to match Redbird Rookies in one-to-one relationships with caring adult mentors.

Cardinals Care also gives cash grants that are combined with complimentary Cardinals tickets, player ticket programs, Cardinals player involvement and other Cardinals resources to serve as rewards or incentives for supporting kids off the field.

Because Cardinals Care cares so much for kids, a very ambitious approach was taken to assure that every resource at our disposal is utilized to benefit kids.

Redbird Rookies Events/Programs

Redbird Rookies Readers Program

In a partnership with area public libraries, Redbird Rookies players are encouraged to read over the summer. Depending upon how much they read, they have the opportunity to win prizes such as a backpack, school supplies and a special limited edition poster featuring a Cardinals player. Also, if an entire team reaches a certain level of reading, they are entered into the following drawings:

5-7 DIVISIONS

One team will receive special tickets to a Cardinals home game in August or September 2015. The team will meet one of the Readers Program featured players in the dugout before the game!

8-10 & 11-13 DIVISIONS

Two teams in each division will play a game at Busch Stadium

ALL DIVISIONS

Change to have featured Readers Program player(s) attend your practice!

Redbird Rookies Fairs

The Redbird Rookies Fairs focus on exposing kids to various activities in the areas of health and education. All children that attend the Fairs have the opportunity to receive hearing, vision, asthma, and dental screenings. They receive health and nutrition information from various partners, and also have the opportunity to receive a free bike helmet and fitting. The Fairs are a great opportunity for children and parents to expose themselves to new and valuable information.

Sheldon Concert Hall Performance

Each year Redbird Rookies partners with The Sheldon Concert Hall for an exclusive musical performance for Redbird Rookies families. This interactive concert exposes the children to an area of music that they might not be familiar with. Tying baseball in to the performance, playing in an ensemble also requires practice, improvisation, and teamwork!

Redbird Rookies/Schnucks Healthy Eater & Healthy Shopper Program

Schnucks teams up with Redbird Rookies every year to provide healthy food options for Redbird Rookies families. Each player receives a coupon book that can be used at any area Schnucks store. Kids who return their proof-of-purchases are put into a drawing for free Cardinals tickets or free food from Schnucks. The Grand prize winner receives a $250 Schnucks gift card and the opportunity to meet a current Cardinals player the following season. In past years, Yadier Molina, Skip Schumaker, David Freese, Matt Holiday and Michael Wacha have been the featured player for the program.

Redbird Rookies Saigh Scholarship

Redbird Rookies offers a scholarship to students who have completed the 7th grade and have just participated in the Redbird Rookies youth baseball league. This scholarship supports the Redbird Rookies Scholar's post secondary education.

The $5,000 scholarship will be distributed after high school in equal parts for up to four years to support the Redbird Rookies Scholar at the accredited college or post secondary training program of his or her choice. Up to ten new Redbird Rookies Saigh Scholarships are awarded each year. Through a partnership with College Bound, recipients of the Saigh Scholarship receive academic support throughout high school and college.

The scholarship is named after Fred Saigh, owner of the Cardinals from 1947-1953, in recognition of the Saigh Foundation's generous support to Cardinals Care.

The deadline to submit the Saigh Scholarship Application is mid-September 2015. To qualify for the 2015 Saigh Scholarship, applicants must have completed the 7th Grade in Spring 2015 and played in Redbird Rookies in 2015. Up to ten (10) $8,000 scholarships will be awarded in Fall 2015.

Check with your Coach or League Organizer to obtain a scholarship application.

RAWLINGS GOLD GLOVE AWARD FOR REDBIRD ROOKIES

In order to qualify, participants must first attend AND have their card punched at ALL of the Redbird Rookies events, including: Redbird Rookies Health Fair, The Black Rep performance, Sheldon Concert Hall performance and Hit a Home Run in the Redbird Rookies Readers Program.

All participants that mail in a completed application, contest submission and completed Rawlings Gold Glove Attendance Card will receive a voucher for two (2) tickets to a 2016 Cardinals regular season home game.

Rawlings will award six (6) Gold Glove winners overall (2 winners per age group). Gold Glove winners will receive a personalized Rawlings glove, four (4) Field Box tickets to a Cardinals home game during the 2016 regular season, an opportunity to meet a Cardinals player and will be honored in an on-field, pregame ceremony.

Volunteer/Coaching Opportunities

Redbird Rookies is a volunteer supported program. If you are interested in being a general volunteer or a coach at one of the area leagues please call the contact person for the specific league that is closest to you. A list of the leagues can be found in "Redbird Rookies Leagues".

Redbird Rookies Leagues

Redbird Rookies is offered to kids ages 5-13. If you have a child who would be interested in joining one of the leagues, please call the league closest to your area.

League (By zip code)

Contact

Phone

Email

Berkeley, City of (63134)

Cathy Davis

314-400-3703

cathydavis@ci.berkeley.mo.us

Beyond Housing-Pagedale (63133)

Ted Simpson

314-862-0639 x13

tsimpson@beyondhousing.org

Boys & Girls Club STL (63107)

Delah Jones

314-335-8204

delah@bgcstl.org

Christian Activity Center, East St. Louis (62201)

Archie Parker

618-874-5615

archie@cacesl.org

City Recreation, STL (63104)

Charles Tyson

314-589-6142

ctyson102006@aol.com

COVAM (63106)

Ronald York

314-757-0537

ronald.york@urbanstrategiesinc.org

Decatur Park District (62522)

Dakota Getz

217-429-3472

dgetz@decparks.com

Grandview Athletic Association (63023)

Dan Peterson

636-586-4500

cederhillfence@sbcglobal.net

Jackie-Joyner Kersee (62204)

Mike Greenfield

618-274-5437

mgreenfield@jjkfoundation.org

Jennings Rec Dept. (63136)

Cindy Tharp

314-388-3040

tharp_cindy@yahoo.com

Kingdom House (63104)

Sonchez Johnson

314-814-6979

sonchez@kingdomhouse.org

Madison, IL (62060)

James Gardner, Jr.

314-232-2618

james.a.gardner-jr@boeing.com

Mathews-Dickey (63115)

Joyce Jones

314-679-5251

jjones@mathews-dickey.com

Normandy (63121)

Tony Evans

314-610-8459

cydneydad3@charter.net

Northwoods, City of (63121)

Edna Williams

314-852-6228

jfuller31496@gmail.com

Pacific, MO (63069)

Robert Curry

314-691-5117

bobbycurry@charter.net

Sesser (IL) (62883)

Jordan McMurray

618-201-8317

St. Louis Dream Center (63115)

Kevin Getter

785-226-1880

kgetter@stldreamcenter.org

YDL/Trinity (63031)

Willie Bunch

314-605-9875

we_bunch@yahoo.com

University City (63130)

Lee Joe Johnson

314-496-9338

johnson.lee1427@gmail.com

Wellston (63133)

Tim Bright

314-532-3952

hitrightbybright@gmail.com

We are no longer accepting new leagues for the 2015 season. If you are interested in hosting a Redbird Rookies League in your neighborhood in 2016, please click below to download an application and send to the Cardinals no later than October 30, 2015.Download application »